It’s here! The Southern Home and Garden Show, produced by the Home Builders Association of Greenville and presented by Jeff Lynch Appliance and TV Center, opens at 10 a.m. this Friday, March 1, at the Greenville Convention Center.

Producing a Home Show with nearly 200 exhibitors is a tremendous undertaking, and it starts with our sponsors.

Jeff Lynch Appliance and TV Center, the presenting sponsor, will be on site on the center aisle and in booth #542, where you will get great ideas for your next new home or remodeling project.

Back by popular demand is the Chef’s Kitchen, sponsored by Ingle’s. Ingle’s celebrity chefs will showcase their signature recipes and cooking techniques throughout the Home Show. Cooking demonstrations are scheduled every hour.

Formerly the DIY Stage, attendees will be able to stop by the Hand Crafted Stage for home and lawn improvementworkshops on trending topics. Forty-five minutedemonstrations start every hour beginning at 11:00 AM on Friday and Saturday and 1:00 PM on Sunday.

Building, buying, selling or remodeling a home canoften be intimidating. It can be daunting trying to figureout all of the details, exploring your options, and choosing the best service provider. Let our Approved Professional Builders and other local experts help you through the process at our Ask an Expert Stagesponsored by Hot Springs Pools and Spas. Forty-fiveminute demonstrations begin every hour starting at 11:00 AM on Friday and Saturdays and 1:00 PM on Sunday.

The Tiny Home and Garden Oasis, sponsored by Davis Services, will also make an appearance. Creek Walk is a new community featuring tiny homes on 20+ acres of natural beauty in Travelers Rest. These homes meet the demand for smaller spaces with comfortable amenities and modern features – in fewer than 400 square feet.

It takes a lot of hands, and the Home Builders Association of Greenville is blessed with many great volunteers who help us set up and take down the HomeShow floor.

I would like to thank the members of our association who helped plan and build the Southern Home and Garden Show, and who helped exhibit in some cases:

Ben Moseley of The Heirloom Companies, the 2019 Chairman of the Southern Home and Garden Show

Mike Freeman, APB, and his team at ACA/Freewood Contracting, who build the Ingle’s Chef’s Kitchen

Charlotte Groce – Palmetto Outdoor Spaces

Nathan Kemper – Pestban

Scott Presley – Oconee Federal

Tuck Williams – Home Works of America

Throughout these pages, you will find lots of great details about the Southern Home and Garden Showthis weekend. You also can get the most up-to-date information about exhibitors and their locations onthe Home Show floor by visiting SouthernHomeAndGardenShow.com.

Spring and summer are popular seasons for home improvement projects, which is why tackling these projects in the winter may be a good idea. While it may seem that more people tend to relax and stay warm inside their homes during this cold season, home improvement professionals are in business year-round. Winter is an excellent time to catch these busy professionals at a time of year when they may have room in their schedule for your project.

Here are a few projects to consider during this winter season:

Get a new roof. Even though winter and roofing can seem counterintuitive, replacing your roof in the winter may make the most sense. The light schedule might just be your ticket into getting your roof replaced before the peak seasons of spring and summer.

Replace your windows. If your windows need replacing, winter reminds you of it every day, so why not tackle it now? It might take a little longer as the contractor takes steps to minimize heat loss in your home, but you will feel the results as soon as the job is done.

Paint a room. Spending more time indoors might draw your attention to dingy walls. For the “do-it-yourselfer,” the dry winter air makes it an ideal time to paint. If you don’t want to do the painting yourself, you may find a few painting contractors with openings in their calendars. Make sure the walls and the paint are warm enough so that the paint will stick well. Paint cans will tell you the temperatures for best adhesion.

Refinish wood floors. As with painting, you will want to somewhat ventilate to manage the fumes from the product that the refinisher will use. If you plan to stay in your home during the project, be sure to check out refinishers who use sandless techniques.

Tackle your fading landscape. In the Upstate, our winter weather is generally not that harsh. Now is a great time to contract with a landscaper to build the hardscape you have been planning, or to renovate your lawn.

Start Planning for the Southern Home and Garden ShowThe professionals who can help you with your home improvement projects will be exhibiting at the Southern Home and Garden Show March 1-3 at the Greenville Convention Center. Make plans to attend now by visiting www.SouthernHomeandGardenShow.com.

When it comes to buying a home, it is essential to tackle one thing well ahead of time: the down payment. Long before you start your search, you need to save. Here is how:

Set a goal. Even a modest down payment can be more than many first-time buyers have ever saved. The median down payment is about 7 percent. For example, with $200,000, that comes to $14,000. Saved in a year, that comes to $1,167 each month. This is why it takes several years for most people to save for a down payment.

Track your progress. Once you set your goal and timeframe, post it on a chart where you track your progress. Check regularly to see how you’re doing. Don’t forget to pat yourself on the back for progress, but also note how much you have left and prod yourself to keep it up — and maybe dig a little deeper.

Remember inflation. It is absolutely necessary to plan for inflation. The house that costs $200,000 today may not cost that much in a year or two.

But how should you go about saving for your dream of homeownership? Consider these suggestions:

Set up a space to put your savings where it’s not in the mix of your regular spending money.

Cut back on frequent small luxuries like coffee-shop drinks because every bit helps. Further, make sure that the amount you saved goes toward your down payment. For example, if you cut a daily $5 coffee expense, at the end of each week transfer $35 to your savings account.

Analyze your spending. Do you need a new $80 pair of jeans? Or will a $30 pair meet your needs? After deciding, transfer the difference to your savings account.

Make your savings automatic by setting up an automatic payday transfer. After all, if it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind.

Use a cash rewards credit card, then transfer the cash value of those points to savings. However, beware of the temptation to justify more spending since you will be earning points.

Save any windfalls. If you receive a tax refund or a bonus at work, save it.

Consider getting a second job such as babysitting, dog walking, yard work or take a part-time job on the weekends. Anything to help you meet your goal of homeownership.

Start Planning for the Southern Home and Garden Show

The professionals who can help you find your dream home or remodel your current home will be exhibiting at the Southern Home and Garden Show March 1-3 at the Greenville Convention Center. Make plans to attend now by visiting www.SouthernHomeandGardenShow.com.

You really want a new kitchen and a living room that has not become the playroom. You seem to have too many people and not enough bathrooms, and ultimately, you will need a safer and more accessible home as you age. You are ready to make a change, but you need to decide: remodel or relocate?

There is no one right answer for every situation. Before you look at houses for sale, or draw up plans to remodel or add on, think about the approach that best meets your wants and that can help you determine what is the best plan of action.

Answering these questions can help you decide:

Do you like your neighborhood? Do your friends and your children’s’ friends live there? Is your favorite park or coffee shop nearby? Are the schools the right fit for your family? Or do you wish you lived closer to work, with a park nearby, as well as a neighborhood restaurant and pub?

How does your home compare in value to others in the neighborhood? Will your remodel make your home the most expensive on the street? Is a house that fits your needs more important than resale if you are planning on living there a long time?

How long do you expect a new space to meet your needs? If your children are making your house feel small, consider their age. How much longer do you expect them to live at home? Do you need more square footage now? Or can you wait a couple of years before downsizing?

What is your tolerance for living in a construction zone? Based on your list of needs, how long and disruptive will the remodeling process be? Temporary housing is expensive, but so is moving to a new home. There are costs for closing, fixing up your current house to sell, moving and even making your new home your own.

What’s the market like for the home you want? How likely are you to find a place you can afford, with the features you want and in the neighborhood you prefer?

Weigh these factors and decide whether you want to remodel or relocate.

Start Planning for the Southern Home and Garden ShowThe professionals who can help you find your dream home or remodel your current home will be exhibiting at the Southern Home and Garden Show March 1-3 at the Greenville Convention Center. Make plans to attend now by visiting www.SouthernHomeandGardenShow.com.

For most people, New Year’s resolutions are for self-improvement such as exercising and losing weight. Why not try something different this year? This year, instead of, or perhaps in addition to that, consider resolving to improve your home. A completed home improvement project, even a simple one, will make a noticeable difference that will last.

For example, resolve to:

Lay the groundwork. Is it obvious where people walk in your house? Maybe it’s time to refinish your floors or replace the carpet. A refreshed expanse underfoot brightens the whole room.

Throw on some color. Revitalize a tired bathroom with a fresh new paint color. You could also add pizzazz to your dining room with bold wallpaper.

Light it up. Lower your utility bill and help the planet by replacing light bulbs with LEDs, or light up a shadowy span of countertop with a stick-on LED strip under the cabinet. Lastly, consider replacing a dated fixture over your dining table or kitchen island with an engaging pendant light.

Tidy up. Clean out a storage space by clearing off that table right inside the door. Empty the “you name it” drawer in the kitchen and go through the linen closet to donate the old towels and sheets to an animal shelter for bedding. Then, take three items out of the garage and donate them to Goodwill. This just might stimulate a deeper cleaning next weekend.

Look ahead. Think about what you want in the next five to ten years. Will your kids soon be teens? If so, consider fixing up the basement area as a movie area. Are there changes you can start now that will make your home more usable as you age? A project as simple as replacing round door knobs with levered handles will help. Even remodeling your bathroom with a no-threshold shower is something to think about.

Whether you embark on a quick DIY project that takes a few hours or an entire renovation, or whether you choose to do it yourself or bring in an Approved Professional Builder—home improvements will reward you while you are challenged to keep your other New Year’s resolutions.

Start Planning for the Southern Home and Garden ShowThe professionals who can help you with your home improvement projects will be exhibiting at the Southern Home and Garden Show March 1-3 at the Greenville Convention Center. Make plans to attend now by visiting www.SouthernHomeandGardenShow.com.